


Temple of Time

by Ort



Series: Ruins [2]
Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: Angst, Hero of Time, Linked Universe, Panic Attacks, Temple of Time, hero of the wild - Freeform, hero of twilight - Freeform, poor Time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-05
Updated: 2019-03-05
Packaged: 2019-11-12 04:17:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18003662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ort/pseuds/Ort
Summary: It sits on the hillside, a monument to his despair, regal and forlorn.





	Temple of Time

**Author's Note:**

> Based off Linked Universe by Jojo

They are leaving the forest, Wild leading them silently out of the trees, when Time falters and stops.  He stares ahead, his eye wide. 

 

It sits on the hillside, a monument to his despair, regal and forlorn.  

 

The others do not seem to notice his plight; even Twilight is distracted, too caught up in a discussion on swordplay with Sky to notice they’re leaving his mentor behind.  

Time takes in a shaky breath and closes his eye.  

When he opens it, the Temple of Time is still there in the distance.  He clenches his fists and starts forward again, catching up with the group.  He wants to say something; wants to ask Wild to stop for just a moment. Or maybe to speed up.  Leave the area. Get him out of here. He feels as though he cannot breathe. 

“What’s that?”  It’s Wind, bouncing excitedly, pointing to temple.  Wild pauses and the others follow suit. Time wants to scream.

“The Temple of Time,” Wild says.  Time must make a noise, because suddenly all eyes are on him.  He clears his throat and hopes his face doesn’t betray him.

“Didn’t know it’d still be around,” he manages to say.  Thankfully, no one seems to notice how bad he’s shaking, though Twilight’s looking at him with the face he always gives Wild.  

Wild shrugs in response. 

“It’s not really in use anymore… it’s pretty run down to be honest.”

Time doesn’t really know how to feel about that, but before he has a chance to figure it out, Wind is already running ahead and yelling for the others to follow.  Sky says something about the desert and a courtyard, but the others don’t seem to notice. Time remains where he is, along with Wild and Twilight. Twilight is looking at him with a piercing gaze, his expression unreadable.  Wild shifts from one foot to the other, clearly uncomfortable, and looks back at Twilight. Time gets the feeling their waiting for him to make the first move. He swallows back a cry.

“Well,” he says.  “Are we going?”

Wild’s eyes dart back and forth between him and Twilight, but says nothing, simply turning to lead the way after the others.  Twilight is still watching Time, even as they begin to walk.

 

They reach the Temple within the hour.  The rest of the group is waiting for them on the steps leading up to the main entrance.  Surrounding the Temple are ruins, strewn about what was once a courtyard. Wind is excitedly sifting through the rubble, while the others wander about, examining the outside.  

The doors to the temple are slightly ajar, but Time cannot quite see the inside from where he stands.  He thinks he’d like to keep it that way. Just standing at the foot of the steps is making him think of stones and doors and pedestals.  

Twilight has not left his side since they spotted the Temple; he’s watching him like hawk, lips pursed and hands fidgeting at his side.  Time knows he should say something; reassure his protege that he’s fine, really. This is nothing. 

He blinks instead and tries to steady his breathing.  For all that he’s confided in Twilight, he’s kept away much more.  He’s not ready to let out everything just yet. 

Wild, for all his perceptiveness, doesn’t seem to notice Time’s hesitance.  He pushes past their group, right up to the doors and no, no, Time wants to tell him to stop.  To close them and let the Temple rot and fall away. 

Wild pushes the doors and, slowly, they open completely, eerily silent despite their age.  He stands in the opening, staring inside with his back to them and Time remembers a young boy and a green cap.

Time is scared.  

 

When they enter, the group finds themselves standing in the middle of a great hall, sunlight pouring in through gaping holes in the Temple’s roof and ceiling.  Weeds and shrubs have invaded the interior, spreading out over the now cracked and dirty marble floors. The windows are almost all glassless. The sills and frames are rotting.    

The Temple is decrepit. 

Twilight hums quietly next to Time.

“It’s worse than when I was here.”

Wild looks back at the two of them, questioning, but catches Time’s eye and stops. 

 

Time feels lost.  At the end of the hall, where once stood  _ the Door,  _ a statue of the goddess Hylia herself stands instead, bathed in sunlight.  Her visage is cracked and vines have started to grow and twist around her form. 

She stares down at him and Time stops.   

His mind goes blank.  He is trapped, caged in the space between the Temple’s entrance and his own end.  He cannot breathe or speak. His legs are rooted to the ground like stone. 

The Door and pedestal are gone, but have been replaced by the image of twisted fate incarnate.  

He can almost feel the weight of an ocarina in his hand.  

  
  


“Time.”

 

He is snapped from his own memories by Twilight, whose grip on his hand is becoming uncomfortable.  The Temple is quiet and Time realizes with a start that it is starting to grow dark. He and Twilight are alone.  He looks to his protege and Twilight nods to the entrance, where Time can just barely hear the others outside.

Time feels a wash of embarrassment come over him and his lowers his gaze to the ground.  Twilight says nothing, just squeezes his hand tighter and remains by his side. Time wants to tell him; about the sword and the sages and seven years and the savior he was supposed to be.  He wants to say more than just “a long time.” 

He tries to speak, but the words aren’t there anymore.  It’s familiar, but unwelcome. 

 

A yell from outside breaks the silence instead and both of them spin towards the open doorway.  Sky is standing, staring up, his hands clutching the sides of his face in horror. The others stand beside him, also looking up with varying shades of worry and amusement.  

 

By the time Twilight and Time make it outside, Wild has already reached the top of the Temple’s tower and is sitting.  He yells something Time cannot hear and points west.

  
  


The sun is setting behind a great mountain, it’s last rays reflecting off it’s snowy surface and casting the rest of the land in orange hues.  Time stares, entranced, as it slowly disappears behind the white peaks, taking the last of the light with it. Beside him, Twilight stands with an expression of melancholia.  The others are silent as well, each stuck in their own reverie and memories. 

A brisk wind sweeps over them, whistling through the open windows of the Temple.  From up on the tower, Wild reaches out a hand to catch the first few snowflakes. Wind shivers and Sky places an arm around his shoulder.  Time takes a deep breath.

“Let’s go.”


End file.
